Cotton picker



l.. c, sTUKENBoRG K COTTON PICKER Filed June 25, 191s 4 sheen-enumv 1 wlmfsses.- mvmron f l T EY L. C. STUKE'NBORG COTTON PICKER me@ Jun 25, 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIT/153858.' Q 0 m21, 192s. l 1,558,716

L. C. STUKENBORG COTTON PICKER Patented Oct. 27, 1925. y .f-

Unirse srnrrzs .Parent QFFICE.

LoUrs oAEEoLL sTUKENEoRG, on cnroaeo, ILLrNor-s, assrenon, BY iviEsNE AssrGN- MENTS, To sTUKENBoEe c oR-PoEa'rroN, on WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A conj PORATION 0F DELAWARE.

COTTON PICKER, p

Application filed June 25, 1918. Serial No. 241,745.

To all 'iu/0m may concern:

Be it known thatI, Louis CARROLL STU- KENnonG, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton Pickers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereotreferencebeing had to the accon'ipanying drawings, and to the characters o't reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in cotton picking machines, and refers, in its general aspects, to that type o-'f cotton picking machine illustrated in my prior application for U. S. Letters Patent, Serial No. 211,176. tiled January 10, 1918, and also shown in my prior U. S. Letters Patent No. 1.264,57 granted on the 30th day ot April, 1918. Certain ot the improvements referred to herein, however, may be applied to cotton pickingl machines differing speciiically trom the constructions shown in the aforesaid application and patent. l

Among the objects of the present invention is vto provide a novel means tor separating the dirt and other extraneous matter tromlthc cotton staple after it has been removed from the bur.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel picking means, embracing brushes or analogous elements having coac-ting rows ot bristles which directly engage the seed cotton to remove them from the burrs; and in this respect said improvements relate in part specifically to rows of bristles alternately long and short, for an improved operation hereinafter to be set forth.

Another objectof the invention is to provide novel means ot mounting the picker brushes in the head, whereby they may be readily removed from and placed in position when the parts oft the picker head casing are separated. p

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of take-oil' device for removing the cotton staple from the picker means,and. for delivering it into the area ot the rearwardly moving blast of air that carries the staple from the head backwardly through the conveying tube to the basket or other receiving device on the machine trame.

A further object ot the invention is to provide novel means for mounting the takeotf device in the picker head so as to enable the take-oftl device, as a whole, to heV readily removed trom the head when theI members constituting the head are separated.` c

A further object of the invention is to simplify the gear connection Vbetween the driving shaft of the motor to the take-oft' device and picker meansvso as to substantially lighten the head and reduce friction in the driving means, and so, also, to permit ready detachment ot the transmission shaft from the picker and take-oil devices, and to thereby enable the head to be detached from the transmission shaft.

` Another object ot the invention is to `provide simple and easily manipulatable means for removing the picker head from the conveying tube and detaching said head from the driving means.

A further object ot the invention is to provide means i'or removing the burrs from the cotton plant so that unopenedor imperfectly opened burrs, together with the cotton boils, may beidetached from the plant and passed through the head, and thereby enable such unopened or impertectlyopened burrs and enclosed seed cotton to` be operated upon in a manner to break the burrs from the seed cotton and to permit the burrs to be removed from the seed cotton, whereby the cotton staple and seed, heretofore largely `left in the field, may be reclaimed oruse.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means, in connection with a picker device of this character, by which unopened burs may be readilyopenedfor access ot the 'pickerme'ans to the seed cotton.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for counter-balancing the weight of the picker head conveying tube and transmission shaft.

Other objects of the invention are to improve andfsimplify cotton picking machines,

and the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts shown in the drawings and described in the specifications, and is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a. cotton pickingy machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the picker head, with parts in section.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, partially in elevation, on the line 3*?) of Figure 2.

Figure 4t is a detail section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail side elevation, illustrating the manner of non-rotatively supporting the take-olf device in the picker head frame.

Figure 6 is a section, partially inL elevation, on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

l Figure 7 is a section on the indirect line 7 7 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a front elevation of the picker head showing a modification.

Figure 9 is a sectional view of a take-off device showing a modified means of con'- necting the take-off lingers to the inner sleeve of the take-olf device.

' Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a partial elevation and partial sectional view of another form of takeod device.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates the frame of the machine which has the general form of a truck, supported on two rear wheels 11 and on a bracket 14. The frame comprises suitably fabricated and connected metal bars with screen-like or foramina'ted enclosing walls 15. The frame may be moved from place to place manually by a hand bar 16 attached to the forward end of the fra-me. So far as the 'details of the frame'structure are concerned, however, it is understood that it may assume other forms and in some instances may haveithe form of a 'motor driven truck.

17 designates a basket supported on the re'ar end of the frame to receive the cotton. l-t comprises suitably shaped fabricated metal bars 18v between which are stretched foraminated or screen-like walls 19. It is removably or detachablysupported on the framel() by means of hooks 20.

21 designates 4a blower that is supported onthe frame l'and its induction side is connected, through the medium of a conveying tube 22, with the picker head 28'. To the eduction side of said blower is connected a discharge pipe 24 that discharges the picked cotto-n into the basket at a point near the topfthereof. Said-blower v isydri'ven by a motor, which may be an explosion engine 25 mounted on the frame, the connections herein shown being a belt 26 that is trained about a driving pulley on the motor and a driving pinion on the shaft of the blower 21.

The motor 25 also drives, through a belt or other transmission 27 a countershaft 2S that is mounted in bearings 29, 29 carried by the frame, and through said countershaft, a flexible or v.jointed transmission shaft comprising sections 30, 30, the casings' of which are flexibly connected by known forms of hinged joints 31, and the shaft sections of which are connected at said joints by n'ieshing gears 32 familiar in this form of driving shaft.

rPhe terminal section' of said transmission shaft is rotatively mounted in Yits casing secticn 3-1 which, in turn, is loosely supported in a bushing 35 that is mounted in a neck or extension 36 of the picker head 23.

The casing of the picker head is herein shown, and preferably, as made of two like shaped lateral members 38, 39 that are joined by bolts or screws Z10 extending through mating lugs on the margins thereof. The neck or extension 86 to receive and support the terminal member of the transmission shaft is preferably made an integral part of the casing, and comprises two halves or parts that are mated to constitute the completed neck and are held together by the screws or bolts 10. Said head comprises an enlarged mouth i-1 that is open at the front of the head, as indicated in Figures et and 6, and a neck 42 to which the conveying tube is connected.

The weight of the picker head, conveying tube, and transmission shaft is counter-` balanced by a c'ounterweight 45 which is connected, through a strand or cable 16, with the inner section 30 of the transmission shaft at a point near the upper end of said section. Said cable 'is trained over a pulley L17 that is carried by a bracket 4:8 which is mounted. on and entends above a support 49 that is connected in any suitable manner at its lower end to the frame or truck. Preferably and as herein shown, said support 19 is tubular to receive and guide the weight 15.

Said counter-weight serves, in the manner referred to in my aforesaid application for United States Letters Patent, to counter-.balance the weight of said parts and also to avoid side whipping of the transmission shaft.

The picker' mechanism embraces in its construction two rotative brushes comprising cores 50, 50 and angularly spaced rows of bristle tufts 51, 52. 1n accordance with the present invention, alternate rows of tufts, the rows 51 as herein shown', are made shorter than the other rows. In accordance with a further feature of the inventionthe said tufts are so relatively spaced that they are brought into endwise contact at the meeting sides of the brushes instead of the rows of bristles of one brush passing into the spaces between the rows ou the other brushes.

The result of making the bristles of alternate long and short rows is that the longer bristles reach out the required distance for contact with the seed cotton, while the shorter bristles, being' stiffer, are effective to efficientlyv pull the cotton between the brushes. In making said longer bristles of a length to thus effectively reach into the burrs for contact with ,the seed cotton, said bristles become more flexible than desired and their pulling force is somewhat reduced by reason of this flexibility. The shorter bristles, on the other hand, can be made sufficiently stiff to be very effective in grasping the cotton and drawing the same between the brushes.

The result of spacing the rows of bristles so that they will endwise mesh at the proxi` mate sides of the brushes is `to effect a `firmer grasp on the cotton by the shorter bristles, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 3.

The brush shafts are mounted in antifriction bearings `56 contained, as herein shown, in hollow bosses 57 of the casing walls; and the cores of the brushes are also provided with extended shells 58 which overlap the bearing bosses to prevent cotton r wrapping about said bearings.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the brush cores are removably mounted on their shafts 55 so that the cores, with the bristles, may be moved endwise from and in like manner placed on said shafts when the two members 38, 39 of the picker head casing are selmrated. This arrangement is shown as effected in the present instance by making the intermediate portions of the shafts of square cross section and similarly fashioning Ythe axial openings in thebrush cores to receive them; thelit being a close lit but permitting` the brush cores to be readily removed endwise from and placed on the shafts.

Any other kind of interlocking connection, suitable for quick detachment and replacement, may, however, be employed. y

Located in rear of the picker brushes `is a take-off device designated as a whole by 60. As in the construction shown in my aforesaid application,- said take-olf device embraces a shell 61 that has at its ends interior cylindric bearings 62 which are rotatively mounted on exterior cylindric bearings of supporting blocks 63 that are carried by the sidewalls of the casings. Said shell is perforated for the passage of pins or fingers 65 that areset at their inner ends in Grooves 66 of a sleeve 67 that is mounted on and rotates with a shaft 63 which extends transversely across the casing and is mounted at its ends inbearings formed in the blocks 63. The said pins are loosely fixed to the sleev'e 67 by means of short pins 70 that are extended through longitudinal openings in the sleeve which intersect the grooves 66, and extend also through apertures in the inner ends of the pins withinl said grooves. The pins 70 are held in place by meansof discs 7 2 which are fitted closely over the shaft 68 and have short tubular flanges 73 which fit closely on the shaft and said discs bear against the ends of the sleeve and pins.

Two driving pins 65 are fixed to and turn with the sleeve 67 and shaft 68 and eX- tend through openings in the shell to transmit motion to the shell to turn it and its bearings. Preferably, also the shell 61 is provided in the planes of the openings which receive the pins 65 with internal grooves to facilitate the work of enlarging the inner ends of said openings to permit free movement of the pins.

In accord ance with another feature of the present invention, the said take-off device is removably mounted in the picker head casing so as to be readily removed therefromwhen the two members of. the casing are parted. To this end the blocks 63 are provided with squared projections 74 through which shaft 68 extends, and the casing sections or parts are provided at their meeting edges and at opposite sides of the plane in which said edges meet with matching recesses 75, 75. It will thus be seen that when one section of the casing. is removed'from the other, the take-off device may be laterally removed from the casing. This feature ofthe device is `advantageous in that it affords means for readily removing the take-off `device for the purpose of repairing or replacing the same.

The take-off device shaft 68 is extended upwardly beyond 4its bearing in the block 63 to provide an extension 75 that is contained in a chambered portion 38 of the casing at the base of the neck 36. Said eX- tension shaft, in accordance with another feature of the present invention, is adapted to be connected to the terminal section 33 of the transmission shaftv through some suitable form of detachableconnection or joint. As herein shown, the inner end of the terminal shaft section isl formed with. a socket 77 to receive the outer end ofthe shaft er;- tension 7 5. Said inner end of the terminal section 33 is also provided at said socket with diametrically opposed slits 78 (Figures Sand 7 to receive a cross pin or bar 79 on theshaft extension 75. The said cross` pin or bar 79 interlocks with the slitted portion terminalsection of the transmission .shaft tok provide a reliable driving connection between the parts, and also permits the terminal section of the transmission shaft to be readily detached from the shaft extension In order to prevent the connected shaft sections from parting during the operation of the machine, the said socketed end of thel shaft is enlarged to provide a should'erSl t. that bears against the inner ends ofthe casing 34e and bushing 35; and a clamping ring or strap S2 is applied to the outer end of the neck 36 to clamp the two members of the neck closely on the bushing 35. By releasingl the clamping screw 83, which holds'the clamping ring or strap in place, the bushing 35, the casing 34, and shaft section 33, are free to be removed endwise from the neck 37. y

In connection with the detachable driving joint thus described, means are provided for permitting the conveying tube to be readily removed from the 'neck 42 of the picker head casing. This may be effected by inserting a metal or like sleeve 85 in the outer end of the conveyor tube 2Q and slipping said sleeve 85 over the end of the picker headfcasing neck. In order to prevent too ready detachment of the parts, the said sleeve may be formed with a spring tongue 88 which is provided with a holding dog` 89 to engage in a socket 90 of the neck.

Theprovision of the detachable' connections between the conveyor tube and head and also between the transmission shaft and the mechanism within the head permits the head to be readily removed from the machine, which it is desirable to do when leaving the machine in the field or other place where the head maybe exposed to the elements or may be maliciously removed.

The brush shafts are geared to the shaft 68 iii a simple manner through the medium of a beveled pinion 92 fixed to said shaft 68 and meshingwith a beveled wheel 93 that is fixed to the inner end of ka short shaft 94 rotatively mounted in a bearing95 carried by the adjacent side of the head. To the outer end of said shaft is fixed a spur wheel 96 that meshes with one of a pair of meshing spur Wheels 97, 97 that are fixed to and drives the brush shafts. rlhe said spur wheels 96, 97 are protected by a removable casing or hood 98 fastened to one side of the casing.

The head the casing and abreast the take-olf device, with an air receiving opening 100, through which the major portion of the air, set in motion by the fan 21, is drawn into the head in the same manner as set forth by my prior application and patent, a small fraction of the air entering the head through the mouth 41. The air so set in motion backwardly through the head and tube carries the cotis provided in one side wall of' toi to the receiving basket lThe picl'iper brushes and take-off device act in the manner set forth in my Vaforesaid application and patent to comb or open the cotton 'sta'- ple and to thereby release boll dirt and other extraneous'matters from the cotton staple. The air entering the head, through the action of the fan 21, carries the staple and b'oll dirt backwardly through the conveying tube and the boil dirt and other extraneous matter, being somewhat heavier than the cotton staple, is carried in advance of the latter. Therefore, when the cotton staple and boll dirt passes into the receiving basket the boll dirt is freed from and slightly in advance of the staple so that it passes directly through the screen-like or forami nated wall of the basket, as indicated in Figure' 1, so as to separate the boll dirt and like objectionable matter from the cotton; the clean, loose cotton falling into the bottom of the basket. In this manner the cotton is not only opened or loosened and prepared as a better ginning product but is also delivered to the basket practically free of boll dirt and the like.

In Figure S is shown an arrangement whereby unopened or imperfectly opened burs may be detached from the plant and both the burs and seed cotton carried through the picker mechanism and the burs broken from the seed cotton so that the burs may be readily separated from the resulting cotton staple-'by merely picking the broken burs from the staple. It hasV been found that the brushes and take-off device are sufliciently strong, especially when using the alternate shorter bristles, to effectively break the burs of this kind of cotton so that the product delivered back to the receiving basket consists of the cotton staple mixed with the broken pieces of burs. Heretofore it has been the practice when handling` cotton of this character to pick'or detach the bur and closed seed cotton from the plant by hand, and afterwards break the bursl from the` seed cotton by hand and separate them from the staple. Owing to the labor cost of doing this work, cottonofthis character has largely remained in the field as a waste product. The value of this character of cotton lies chiefly in the cotton seed which may be taken therefrom, although the cotton staple itself has a given value as a low standard staple. With the present arrangement, now to be described, it becomes practical to detach they burs from the plant and remove them from the staple ata small cost of labor.

One practical means of effecting this result is to provide at one side of the mouth a knife blade 105 which is provided between its ends and near the proximate sides of the brushes with a V-shaped notch 106, the sides of which are formed to provide cutting edges 107. When this'cons'truction ris employed, the guards 108 shown in Figures 3 and 4t, and which are used in the construction before described in the same manner and for the same purpose as in my prior application 'and patent, are omitted. In using the modified construction shown in Figure 8, the bur is grasped and the knife edges are brought to bear on the stem in rear of the bur to sever the stem from the plant. The brushes directly engage and carry the bur and enclosed seed cotton into the head, and by reason of the compression of the bur as it passes between the brushes and by reason of its engagement with the take-off device, saidbur is broken up into fragments and carried back as such fragments along with the cotton staple.

lt will be understood, however, that any other suitable means of breaking up the burs may be employed, as, for instance, a breaking device consisting of two wire, or other stiff, interacting brushes and used with or without a takeoff device.

In the present construction and where the guards 108 are used, they are attached to the casing walls above and below the brushes in a manner specifically different than shown in my prior application and patent. As herein shown, the upper and lower casing wall of the mouth is provided with shallow notches 110, through which the guardsl extend, and the guards are anchored to the head by means of anchor bars 111 that are detachn ably fixed to the head in any suitable man-V ner. The guards herein shown are U-shaped, the same as illustrated in my aforesaid patent, and one member of each U-shaped guard is made shorter than the other and is normally separated from its anchor bar 111, so that, when the guards are pressed inwardly by the force of the brushes in pulling the cotton, the shorter ends of the U-shaped guards constitute stopsr to limit movement thereof towards the brushes.

In Figures 9 and 10 is shown a modified form of take-off device relating more specifically to the manner of loosely connecting the take-off pins or fingers with the inner eccen tric sleeve. As shown in said drawings, 118 designates the take-off drive shaft corresponding to the shaft 68 above referred to.

119 designates the sleeve mounted thereon,

recesses 123 and 124 when opposed in match-` ing relation constitute sockets to receive enlargements or balls 125 lformed on the inner ends of the pins 122. The construction described constitutes a ball and socket connec? tion between the inner sleeve 119 and the pins 122. The opposed end faces of the intermediate and end sleeve sections or parts are cut away or properly spaced to permit the required angular movement of the pins relatively to the sleeve.

The takeoff device shown in Figurey 11 comprises a shell 130 that is rotatably mounted on the bearing blocks 131, 131, the latter corresponding to the blocks 63 of the first described construction. 132, 132 designate the take-off pins or fingers which extend through the perforations'of the `shell 130,r and 133, 133 designate the locking or driving pins which also operatefthrough the openings in the shell. Said pins, extend through openings inthe finger mounting sleeve and into the shaft 134, corresponding to the shell 68 of the first described construcl tion.

The finger mounting `sleeve Y surrounding the shaft 134i in this instance is made'of three members, an intermediate member 135 and end members 136. The inner ends of the fingers 132 are provided with inwardly turned bearing studs 138, giving to said fingers a generalL shape, and said studs are' seated in sockets 139 that are disposed longitudinally of the intermediate sleeve sections 135, and they are located just inside the ends of the latter. The said fingers are held in place with their studs seated in said sockets 139 by the end sleeve sections y136.

With this construction, the pins ma be readily removed from the interme iate sleeve section 135 after the end sleeve sections 136 have been shifted endwise of the Shaft 134.

In other respects this hereinbefore specifically referred to construction and opera.- tion of the mechanism is lsubstantially the same as that shown in my prior United States patent and application.

It is to be understood that the details of the construction herein illustrated, which have been particularly described, may be varied within the spirit and scope of the present invention and that said invention is not limited to such details except as to claims here specifically set forth ,and as imposed by the prior art.

I claim as my invention 1. A cotton picker comprising a manually manipulated, head, interacting picker and fibre loosening mechanism therein, constructed to comb and loosen the cotton locks, to segregate them and their adhering seeds from each other and loosen boll dirt there-v from to produce a fluffy seed cotton, said mechanism including oppositely disposed,

meeting, rotative, picker means arranged t0 rotl e rearwardly at their coacting sides, a foraminated element, and pneumatic means connecte-dito the head to carry the cotton rearwardlyvfrom the head constructed to deliver the cotton and loosened boll dirt against said foraininated element.

` 2Q In a cotton picker, a picker head, interacting brushes mounted therein to rotate in .opposite directions and provided with angularly spaced rows of bristles, the bristles in certain rows of each brush being shorter than the bristles of the other rows Of said brush. y n

3. In. a cotton picker, a piclter head, interacting brushes mounted therein to rotate in opposite directions and provided with angularly spaced rows of bristles, the rows of bristlesfof the two brushes being angularly spaced tok meet in endwise meshing engagement,"and the bristles of alternate rows of being shorter than those of the other rows thereof, and means to remove the cottonA ifrom the brushes.

4. In a cotton picker, a picker head, interacting brushes mounted therein to rotate in opposite directions and provided with angularly spaced rows of bristles, the bristles of certain rows of each brush being shorter than the bristles of the other rows of said brush, and a take-off device in rear, of and rotative in contact with said brushes.

5. In a cotton picker, a picker head comprising separable members formed at one end to provide a forwardly open mouth and provided at its other end with an outlet in line with a suction conveying tube, coacting rotative picker brushes at said mouth whose axes of rotation are transverse to the plane of separation of said members, and brush shafts rotatively mounted in bearings in the wallsv of. the said. separable members, and movable endwise from said bearings, whereby when said members are separated, corresponding ends of the shafts may be removed endwise from their bearings.

In a cotton picker, a picker head, embracing separable members and having an open mouth, interacting, rotative picker brushes at said mouth, said brushes embracing cores having axial openings, and shafts Y extending through and endwise removable from, but rotatively locked in said axial openings, said casing members being separable in a plane permitting the shafts Vand brushes to be bodily removed endwise from said members when the latter are separated.

7. In a cotton picker, a picker head embracing antwo part casing and provided with an openV mouth, rotative, interacting picker brushes at said mouth, shafts rotatively mounted in bearings carried by opposing walls ofsaid casing and having portions interlocked to the brushes by meanspermitting the brushes to be removed endwise therefrom, said shafts and the axes ofthe brush cores lying in planes at right angles to the plane in which the casing members meet.

8. In a cot-ton picker, a picker head embracing interacting brushes, and a take-off device in rear of and coacting with said brushes, comprising a perforated shell, fixed supporting members onv which said shell is rotatively mounted, an inner, rota-tive membei" eccentric to the axis of the shell, pins movable through the perforations of said shell, and bball and socket connectionsfbetween said pins and said/inner member.

9. In a cotton picker, a picker head embracing interacting picker means, a take-off in rear of and enacting with the picker means comprising a perforated shell, bearings o-n which said shell rotates, a rotative member within and eccentric to the axis of said shell comprising separable intermediate and end portions, said end portions and intermediate portions being formed on their proximate faces to provide recesses, and' take-off pins movable through the perforations of the shell and having end portions to loosely engage said recesses'.

l0. In a cotton picker, a picker head embracing interacting picker means, a take-off device in rear of and coacting with said picker means embracing fixed bearing blocks, a perforated shell rotatively mounted thereon, arotative sleeve within an eccentric to said shell embracing separable intermediate portion and two end portions, a driving shaftextending through said sleeve portions, to which the end sleeve portions are threaded. said end portions and the intermediate portion of the sleeve being formed to provide recesses, and said end portions bearing against said bearing blocks, and take-off lingers movable` through the appertures of the shell and having inner end portions to loosely engage said recesses.

11. In a cotton picker, a two part separable casing, interacting picker means therein, a take-olf device rotatively mounted in the casing in rear of the picker means, and bearings for the take-off device interlocked 'to the casing wall at the pla-nc of separation of the two part casing.

12. In a cotton picker, a picker head embracing two casing members which meet at their edges toA constitute a piel-:er heady casing, and formed to provide an open mouth and a rearwardly extending neck, rotative. interacting picker means at said mout-h, and a rotative take-olidevice in rear of the picker means embracing bearing blocks that are detachablyr interlocled to the casing membersat their meeting edges by means which permit ready separation of the blocksy from` the casing when the casing members are separated.

13. In a cotton picker` a picker head casing comprising two shell-like members, the

edges of which meet in abutting relation, said casing formed With an open mouth, interacting picker means at said mouth, and a rotative take-ofin device in rear of the picker means embracing bearing blocks having angular cross section extensions, the

casing members being provided at their meeting edges With notches to interlockingly receive said extensions.

14. In a cotton picker, a picker head comprising a two-part shell, the members of which abut at their edges, said casing being formed to provide an open mouth, interacting picker means at said month, the casing members being formed in rear of said picker means With mating recesses to form notches in opposing walls of the head, a rotative take-off device in rear of the picker means, and bearing members for said take-off device having' extensions removably seated in said notches.

l5. In a cotton picker, a picker head com` prising a tivo-part shell, the. members of which abut at their edges, said casing being formed to provide an open lmouth and formed in rear of said picker means with mating recesses to provide notches in opposing Walls of the head, interacting picker means at said mouth` a rotative take-olf de vice in rear of the picker means, bearing members for said take-off device having eX- tensions removably seated in said notches, and a shaft rotatively mounted in said bearing members and extending through the extensions thereof, with means to rotate said shaft.

IGpIn a cotton picker, the combination with a casing formed to provide an open mouth and a shaft bearing neck, of interacting, rotative picker brushes at said mouth, a rotative take-off device in rear of the picker brushes, a shaft rotatively mounted in the head for driving said take-off device, a transmission shaft section rotatively mounted in said neck, and means to directly connect said shaft section with the take-off device shaft.

17. In a cotton picker, the combination with a casing formed to provide an open mouth and a shaft bearing neck, of interacting, rotative picker brushes at said mouth, a rotative take-off device in rear of the picker brushes, a shaft rotatively mounted in the head for driving said take-off device, a transmission shaft section rotatively mounted in said neck, means to directly connect said shaft section with the take-off device shaft, and operative gear connections between said take-off device drive shaft and said picker brushes to drive the latter.

18. In a cotton picker, the combination 'With a casing formed to provide an open mouth and a shaft bearing neck, rotative, interacting picker brushes at said mouth, a rotative take-olf device 1n rear of the picker brushes, a shaft rotativel7 mounted in the head for driving said take-off device, a transmisison shaft section rotatively mounted in said neck, said take-olf device driving shaft provided with a shaft extension, and an endvvise detachable, interlocking connection between said shaft extension and said transmission shaft section,

I9. In a cotton picker, the combination with a casing formed to provide an open mouth and a shaft bearing neck, rotative, interacting picker brushes at said mouth, a rotative takeoff device in rear of the picker brushes,.a shaft iiuiativel;` mounted in the head for driving said take-olf device, a transmission shaft section rotativelymounted in said neck, said takeoff device driving shaft provided With a shaft extension, an endivise detachable interlocking connection between said shaft extension and said trans mission shaft section, and means for locking the transmission shaft section in the neck While permitting it to be removed endivisc therefrom to detach it from said shaft ektension.

'20. In a cotton picker, the combination With a casing formed to provide an open mouth and a shaft bearing neck, of interacting. rotative picker brushes at said mouth, a rotative take-olf device in rear of the picker brushes, a shaft rotatively mounted in the head for driving said take-off device, a transmission terminal shaft section rotatively mounted in said neck, the terminal transmission shaft section being fitted to rotate in said neck and to be endvvise removed therefrom, and provided at its inner end with a socket to lit over said take-off device shaft, and interlocking means between said transmission terminal shaft section and said take-off device shaft.

21. In a cotton picker, a picker head embracing tvvo shell-like members abutting at their edges and formed to provide an open mouth and also a two-part shaft bearing neck, rotative, interacting picker brushes at said mouth, a rotative take-ofi' device mounted in the head in rear of said brushes, ashaft for driving said take-0E device, a bearing bushing in said two-part neck, a terminal transmission shaft section rotatively mounted Within said bushing, a joint interlockingly connecting said terminal section and take-off device shaft by means permitting endvvise separation thereof, said terminal section having a shoulder to engage the inner end of said bushing to prevent endwise Withdrawal of the terminal section, and means to clamp the two part neck against said bushing.

22. In a cotton picker, a picker head embracing a casing shaped to provide an open mouth, rotative, interacting picker brushes at said mouth provided With shafts Which are mounted in the casing Walls, a rotative sie take-off device mounted in rear ot the picker brushes, a sha-'tt rotatively mounted .in the casing walls for driving said take-oit device, a transmission shaft having a terminal section that is mounted in said casing and is directly connected to said take-oit device shat't by means permitting endwise separation therefrom, a bevel pinion on said.

take-ofi device shaft, a counter-shaft having abeveled wheel meshing with said pinion, and operative connections between said ccunter-shat't and said brush shafts.

23. ln a cotton picker, the combination with a picker head comprising a easing having an open mouth, and a rearwardly directed discharge neck, interacting picker ineans at said month, and pneumatic means i'or carrying the cotton rearwardly trom the pic-her means embracing a conveyor tube, a member fitted to said tube and adapted to telescope over the rear end ot said discharge noch, and a resilient tongue on said member formed with a projection adapted to detachably engage a socket in said discharge neck.

24. In a cotton picker, the combination with a picker head formed with an open mouth and with a rearwardly directed dis charge neck, interacting picker means at said mouth, a rotative take-oit device in rear of the picker means, and a driving shaft for said take-oli' device, ci' a transmission shaft having bearing in said head, means to detach-ably connect said transmission shaft to said take-oit device driving shaft, operative driving connections between said takeoit device shattand said picker means, pneumatic means for carrying the cotton rearwardly from, the take-oit device embracing a conveyor tube, and means for detachably connecting the conveyor tube to said neck,

25. In a cotton picker, a picker head comprising a casing having an open month, interacting picker meansat said month, and a bar exterior to the head` at one side ot' the mouth and provided with V-shaped cutting edges.

26. In a cotton picker, a picker head ein bracing a casing having an open mouth, interacting picker means at said month for engaging the cotton boli, and means carried by the head 'tor opening unopened burs.

2T. In a. cotton picker, a picker head enibracing a casing having an open mouth picker, interacting picker means at said mouth 'for engaging the botton boils, and a` conical bur opening member extending lateraliy trom the head at one side et saidv mouth.

28. A. cotton picker comprising a suction device, a picker head, a conveying tnbefconnecting the picker head and said suction device, a jointedl shaft connected to the picker head and extending.rearwardly therefrom, mean-s to drive said shaft, a counterweight, a cable connecting said Weight to a section ot said shaft near said driving means, a pulley over which the cable is trained and a support for said pulley in which the counter-weight is contained and by which it is guided.

In testimony whereof I claim the foregoing as my invention, I hereunto append my signature at Chicago, illinois, this seventh day of J une, 1918.

LOUIS CARROLL STUKENBORG. 

